Blood Brothers (TV series episode)
''Blood Brothers ''was the 18th episode of Season 9 of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, also the 216th overall series episode. Written by David Pollock and Elias Davis and directed by Harry Morgan, it originally aired on April 6, 1981. Synopsis Father Mulcahy frantically prepares for a visit from Cardinal Reardon, a VIP to both the Army and the church, while Hawkeye is faced with the difficult task of having to tell a patient he has leukemia. Full episode summary There are only a few patients in Post Op. One of them, B.J.'s patient, is named Dan Lowry and neither B.J. or Hawkeye are sure whether he'll pull through, but another patient, Gary Sturgis, Lowry's best friend, is certain that Lowry will be fine. B.J. prepares to give Lowry a pint of blood, but Sturgis offers to donate his own as they have the same blood type. Hawkeye and B.J. agree and take some of his blood for cross-matching. Meanwhile, Potter delivers what he thinks is good news for Father Mulcahy: Cardinal James Reardon will be visiting the 4077th. Mulcahy is initially pleased, but when Potter tells him that Reardon will be arriving in two days, Mulcahy quickly flips into a panic, convinced that there's no way they can have everything ready in time. Things are already off to a bad start as Mulcahy and Potter find Rizzo and his pals in the motor pool shooting craps, which Potter quickly orders stopped. Saturday evening, Klinger and Mulcahy are attempting to get everything ship shape; they go into the supply tent and find Rizzo and his gang again shooting dice. Mulcahy is disgusted at Rizzo's insubordinance, and then storms out when Rizzo asks Klinger about the five dollars he owes him from that morning. Mulcahy then goes into the Officers Club where things are less than ideal for his preference. He complains to Potter who is also there, who tries to explain that being pay day everyone needs to let off some steam, but when Mulcahy complains that the camp will be hungover and unkempt for morning services, Potter assures him that he has already ordered a midnight curfew and bed check. When a poker fight breaks out, Mulcahy's temper explodes and he angrily rebukes everyone for their unwillingness to tone down their wild antics. In the lab, B.J. tells Hawkeye that Lowry is stable enough for the transfusion, but Hawkeye has some very bad news: he just discovered that Sturgis has Leukemia. Debating over what to do, B.J. thinks Sturgis should be told so he can "make the most of the time he has left", but Hawkeye is worried that telling him could "take the life right out of him." After several more blood tests, Sturgis becomes suspicious and demands an explanation; Hawkeye tries to be subtle, but at the same time tells Sturgis that if he does have Leukemia his survival chances are not good. Hawkeye then recommends that Sturgis be sent to Tokyo where he can be examined more fully and begin treatment. Mulcahy is thrown for a loss when Cardinal Reardon arrives hours ahead of schedule, but Reardon is quite kind and avuncular, and even asks if they can all get a drink in the Officers Club, which was just closed per Potter's order, though Igor (who was tending bar) drunkenly stumbles out into the compound and promptly passes out in front of them. Mulcahy then escorts the Cardinal to the VIP tent, only to find Rizzo and and his pals hunkered inside, yet again shooting craps. Livid, Mulcahy storms into the Mess Tent and finds Hawkeye sitting alone drinking coffee. He angrily rants for a few moments about how nothing is going his way, but is quickly brought back from his own problems when Hawkeye tells him about Sturgis. Mulcahy goes to Post Op and winds up talking to Sturgis all night, completely losing track of the time. At daybreak, Hawkeye comes in and insists on sending Sturgis to Tokyo right away so he can begin treatment, but Sturgis wants to stay with Lowry until he comes to, rightfully declaring that he is justified in using his remaining time his own way. When Hawkeye begins to argue back, Father Mulcahy interrupts him and quietly suggests that sending Sturgis to Tokyo so soon won't help Sturgis or Lowry. Hawkeye gets the point and tells Sturgis he can stay as long as he wants. Klinger enters Post OP and reminds Mulcahy of Sunday service, which he completely forgot about. Still in his bathrobe, a disheveled Mulcahy enters the packed Mess Tent and briefly tells a story about two men, each facing his own crisis: the first man, whom they all know, was not facing a dilemma so much as he was wanting recognition, a pat on the back, and then foolishly lashing out at every perceived threat to that recognition. He then tells about the second man (Sturgis), who was indeed facing a genuine crisis, the loss of his own life, and though he had every right to be selfish, he was thinking only of a brother. Mulcahy tells about the second man's selfless behavior, and then nearly breaks down in tears as he reveals himself to be the selfish man. He then tells about how Sturgis' noble demeanor made him see something more clearly than ever before: that "God didn't put us here for that pat on the back; He created us so He could be here Himself, so that He could exist in the lives of those He created in His image." He then yields the pulpit to Cardinal Reardon who, deeply touched by Mulcahy's emotional homily, gives him a hearty embrace and states, "If I do say so, Father, you're a tough act to follow." At the end of his stay, Cardinal Reardon compliments Mulcahy and tells him to "Keep up the good work." After he departs, Potter congratulates Mulcahy, saying that "Before you know it, you'll make monsignor!" Mulcahy then offers to buy everyone a drink at the Officers Club. Guest stars/Recurring cast *Patrick Swayze as Private Gary Sturgis *Ray Middleton as Cardinal Reardon *G.W. Bailey as Sergeant Luther Rizzo *Jeff Maxwell as Igor Straminsky *Tom Kindle as G.I. *Robert Balderson as Captain Bratton *Roy Goldman as Corporal Roy Goldman *Dennis Troy as Dennis *Uncredited **Lieutenant Jo Ann - in post op Trivia * This was the seventh of nine episodes of M*A*S*H directed by Harry Morgan. * In a tragic irony, Patrick Swayze, who played Sturgis, actually died of pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009 at age 57. * The part of Cardinal Reardon was one of Ray Middleton's final acting performances. He died three years later in April 1984. Goof(s) When Hawkeye tells Mulcahy about Sturgis, Mulcahy is wearing his clerical shirt and collar underneath his bathrobe, but when we next see him in Post Op talking with Sturgis (which is almost certain he would have immediately gone to do after talking with Hawkeye), he is wearing only an olive drab T-shirt underneath the same robe. Category:Season 9 episodes